HC, Maybe I didn't articulate my true feelings or maybe I am not understanding you all the way. Either way I am confused, lol.
I think that changing your sex is weird, but not in a bad way. I don't understand it. I can't at all relate to what they feel or what drive these people. I am as open minded as they come, okay maybe not as open as Sue is, but pretty close, lol. I don't have any cousins that are married but I am married and have a boyfriend, and all of us are good friends, lol. Oh, and also I dated a gay man who didn't know he was gay for six years. Everyone knew he was gay but he and I ,lol. That's a story for another day.
What they feel and how they view themselves is not anything that I can figure out because I grew up in Amishville USA. My scope of exposure and knowledge of matters such as these is very foreign to me. God knows that I love to learn and I try to expand my knowledge of anything as often as I can. You can ask RN 1993 and Nikki, I have to drive them nuts in the chat room because I am always asking them questions about medical stuff, equipment, names of medications and what not in their country and we converse how our two countries are both different and similar.
I think you are right about these folks and the media. People like myself who live in places like I do, basically have no choice but to believe what we basically see in the media. Ohio isn't exactly a mecca for folks with alternative life styles. I would love nothing more than to get the chance to sit down with, or have friends who know more or have been through such things. But then, would I want to basically be grilled on my life choices by someone who didn't understand it? I'm guessing not, lol.
I guess for me topics like this fascinate me and I want to learn about them because I am a nurse. A day might come that I have a patient who is thinking about doing this, or who is in the process or has had it done. I strive to learn what I can about such things because patients often times are scared, they are alone or feel that way in the hospital. I would assume that they probably wouldn't feel that way if they had someone to talk to, or maybe they are having an issue and they are afraid to say anything because someone might judge them. I like to be the person that patients can come to, talk to and feel comfortable with knowing that I am not judging them, but that I want to be their advocate and that I will help them in any way I can.
Personally speaking, anyone who has lived in their own personal hell their entire life, no matter what their personal hell is, and they have the "balls" and the strength to do something about it and to finally achieve the thing that is going to finally make them happy, is a very strong person, and they have my respect. Anyone can sit back, bitch, complain, moan, cry, and feel sorry for themselves, but not everyone has the guts to change. People like that are strong and worthy of my respect.
I hope this makes sense?
Mashie